For the World in A Smile
by Emiline Starwing
Summary: [Spoilers] Under his teacher’s orders, Ichigo is to retrieve the Hougyoku. “Do I bring back the girl or the thing?” he asked. His teacher smiled. “That’s entirely up to you.”


**BLEACH: For the World in Her Smile**

**Summary:** Kuchiki Rukia never lost her powers in Karakura, and Ichigo took up training with Urahara to watch over his home town with his friends. Two years later, Urahara handed down a mission. "Go to Soul Society and retrieve a shinigami girl with a deadly weapon buried in her soul." Is Soul Society prepared for a band of elusive, black cloaked invaders, impossibly strong and led by a man with a grinning hollow mask.

**Chapter rating:** K+ for a little violence

**Pairing:** IchigoxRukia, UraharaxYoruichi, there may be others

**Spoilers:** **MAJOR SPOILERS!** Everything in the manga so far!

**Genre:** AU, Romance, Action/Adventure

**Disclaimer:** Kubo-sensei would be too busy hiding from rabid, insane fans (like me) to write a stupid fanfic like this. Therefore, logically, I cannot be Kubo-sensei and cannot be the owner of BLEACH.

**

* * *

Chapter 1: To Change the Tide of Battle **

_Two Years Ago..._

_The world flashed before Ichigo's eyes as the monster came at him, blank fish eyes fixed on his face. Black coiled body rippling, a thousand teeth glowing from black mouths. He couldn't breath out, lungs squeezing._

"_Out of the way, brat!" Like the shadow of a bird, the shinigami flickered between him, sword throwing light onto the driveway. White teeth closed around the girl and red dotted the white mask. For one horrific moment, Ichigo thought the girl had been bitten in half. The hollow screamed in fury, black fingers trembling and reaching to the large crack down its mask. T he shinigami's sword was buried in its face. Slowly, its teeth unclenched and it vanished, floating upwards into the night._

"_Shinigami!" Ichigo called. The short black haired girl slowly dropped to her knees, one hand pressed against her stomach. Blood sprayed against grave as the shinigami leaned on her sword to keep upright._

"_Count yourself lucky, human," she rasped. "I wouldn't be able to fight after this. That… that was a lucky shot." Long black lashes dipped over blue eyes briefly. Ichigo could almost feel the breath that escaped her mouth. "That was very… very lucky." _

"_How bad is it?" Ichigo crouched down beside her, but the shinigami was already on her feet and away. "Should you be moving-"_

_The small girl ignored him, kneeling and placing her hands against Yuzu's chest. Sweat swelled against her hair and her face grew paler as light licked up to Yuzu's face. The deep gash against Yuzu's small cheeks closed and smoothed over. Ichigo stared for a moment, rushing into the house for Karin. When both twins were healed, the shinigami swayed heavily and her eyes dilated. _

_Ichigo caught the small girl by the scruff of her black collar as she fell. One pale, small hand pressed against her forehead before she pushed away._

"_I think you should lay down," Ichigo said. "What's your name anyway?"_

_The shinigami reached inside her robes and pushed a brightly colored tube against Ichigo's face. Smoke blasted against his eyes and the toy sprang into the air with a puff. Black._

_Black._

* * *

Present...

"I refuse," Ishida snapped. "I have better things to do than skipping off to Soul Society to kidnap some random shinigami. Some random shinigami _girl_."

"It's not the girl we want," Ichigo gritted his teeth. Despite fighting side by side for the last year, Ishida Uryuu was one of the most annoying men Ichigo has ever known. "This girl has something hidden in her soul. A weapon that we can't let the enemy get to. Sandal-hat called it the Hougyoku."

"Hm…" Ishida continued sewing, frowning. "What did the others say?"

"Chad's going. So is Inoue. Sandal-hat doesn't know if he should let the others go. They aren't strong enough yet."

"You can tell him," Ishida huffed, "that unlike the rest of you, I am not his student and therefore not obligated to go on this ridiculous mission."

"Scared?" Ichigo smirked. "I get it, you're scared, aren't you? The big bad shinigami are going to jump out at you in the night." He sank into the chair in front of Ishida and poked the stuffed animal on the table as Ishida's glasses gleamed furiously. "So. Coming?"

Ishida shrugged and left. Ichigo walked home lost in memory. _If I went to Soul Society, she might be there. _

He wanted to thank her. Two years ago, he had woken in an empty room in Urahara Shoten. Bewildered, he had asked about the black haired shinigami and was told, "She went home, Kurosaki-san."

He was left without an explanation, without the chance to thank her. Abandoned.

* * *

_Three weeks ago..._

"_Kurosaki-san, we have a new mission," Urahara beamed._

"_You're kidding," Ichigo groaned, sitting up as Tessai finished mending the last of his wounds. "That last hollow with the broken mask nearly finished me. I can barely move and there's already another mission?"_

"_This one's different, Kurosaki-san," Urahara squatted by the matt. "It'll happen in three weeks and you won't be fighting any hollows before that. You'll be training."_

_Ichigo paused. "Training." He took a deep breath. "How bad is this?"_

"_You'll be fighting shinigami, just like yourself. You'll be going to Soul Society to find a girl."_

"_What?" Ichigo screeched. An image of pitch black hair and intense blue eyes flickered in his mind. "What's a girl got to do with anything?"_

"_This is not a joke, Kurosaki-san," Urahara's face was unusually serious. "I hid a weapon in her. A weapon that can change the tides of any battle, called Hougyoku. I need you to retrieve the Hougyoku before the enemy realizes where it is. Fail, and the world may be in danger."_

"_Whoa, whoa, you're going too fast," Ichigo swallowed. "You want me to go to Soul Society and find your weapon for you. So do I bring back the girl or the thing?"_

_Urahara smiled, hat drooping forward to cast a shadow over his eyes. "That, Kurosaki-san, is entirely up to you."_

* * *

Present...

"Urahara-san said she's a princess, Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue shook a carrot in Ichigo's face. "Do you think she'll be pretty? Ah! That makes us bad guys! And some prince will come and save her and he'll chop us all up." Ichigo cringed as the girl raised her vegetable knife and smashed the carrot into mush. With a terrible squeak from cutting board and knife, Inoue scraped the carrot carcass into a bowl and onto the table.

"Tatsuki," he groaned. "Make her stop. This is killing me."

There were six of them in Inoue's cramped living room. A cloud of gloom hung over them. Tatsuki's eyes were hard and fixed on Ichigo. Chad was sitting against a corner, deep in thought. Keigo and Mizuiro were uncharacteristically silent. The winter night was cold and eerily noiseless around them. They had all gathered in a hushed, awkward good-bye party to celebrate their last night on earth for a long time.

"I'm going," Tatsuki growled. "Whatever the manager says, I'm going. I'll sneak in if I have to."

Ichigo snorted. "If Sandal-hat thought you were good enough, he would've said yes. This time, it's different from fighting hollows. This isn't a picnic."

"I'll bring food!" Inoue piped up.

"So the circus is all gathered," a voice said dryly from the door. Ichigo glanced up at Ishida, who dusted himself as he stepped into the room. "Everyone's kept their charm, I see."

"Are you going?" Ichigo asked.

Ishida sighed. "I'd have to keep the rest of you from getting killed. Of course I'm going."

"What?!" Keigo finally shouted. "Four-eyes is going but we can't? I'm a hundred times stronger than him!" Mizuiro's calm eyes flickered from one face to another. One hand reached up to Keigo's shoulder, slamming him down into the floor.

"Hey-" Keigo screeched. "Mizui-"

"Don't worry about him, Ichigo," Mizuiro said quietly. "We know what we've got to do. You go carry off that princess. We'll be here when you get back."

The food tasted sour on Ichigo's tongue, and he wasn't sure if it was Inoue's cooking or the task before them. He forced a smile. "Thanks."

The group departed in uneasiness. Keigo sprouted complaints and Mizuiro was contemplative. Chad had stared at his fist throughout dinner and Inoue tried to fill the silence with light-hearted talk and awkward laughs.

"I'm going," Tatsuki whispered, puffing white fog into her mittens and slowly jogging up the road. "The old man isn't going to stop me."

* * *

Present...

"Captain Ichimaru?" Kiyone asked around a mouthful of rice. She tugged on oversized white gloves and smoothed back blond hair. "He's strange, but not dangerous. Get to know him and you'll see."

"Oh," Rukia looked away at the fields around them. "I'll think about it." Lately, Captain Ichimaru had shown his face everywhere Rukia went, crooked grin looming above her. Byakuya ignored him, but Rukia couldn't do the same. She found herself peering over her shoulder, looking for knowing smirks, his smooth goose-bump-causing voice and snake-like presence. She swallowed and shuddered.

"Kuchiki!" Division thirteen third seat Sentaro landed behind them. Kiyone snapped around in anger, vein twitching and gloved fist raised. Sentaro shoved a palm in her face and faced Rukia.

"Kuchiki, the Captain wants to see you," Sentaro managed before Kiyone kicked him hard, and the two fell into a familiar fight.

"You've been seeing the Captain behind my back haven't you!" Kiyone shouted, strangling him with her arm. "How dare you!"

"You have no idea how wrong that sounds!" Sentaro elbowed her repeatedly until she let go. "_I_ am the Captain's top man, of course I-"

Hastily, Rukia fled before they could pull her into their fight. Three shunpo steps and she was back at the Division Headquarters. Silently, she jogged through the half filled corridors, dodging around other Division thirteen shinigami with a hurried, "sorry," until she reached the Captain's room.

Breathing deeply, she knocked and waited, straightening her black robes and pressing her hair back in place.

Captain Ukitake's familiar soft voice beckoned her in. Rukia pushed through the door and saw her captain with a tea set before him. Confused, she sat and took the tea offered.

"Kuchiki," Ukitake said slowly. "What rank are you now?"

Excitement whistled up Rukia's throat and she leaned forward. Promotion? Was she finally going to be promoted? "Nothing yet, Captain. Why are you asking?"

Ukitake sighed and held up a hand. "You have defeated both Sentaro and Kiyone many times in the last year or so, and they are both third seats. Do you know why you're still seatless?"

Rukia flushed. "I haven't gotten much experience, and my first mission two years ago didn't go well. But… but I know I can do better if I'm given another chance."

A look of pain flickered across Ukitake's face and he glanced away. Long white hair pooled against his shoulder like a serene waterfall. "It's not your lack of experience. Your lack of rank and lack of missions comes from something else." He breathed deeply. "Your brother made sure you were never promoted, and that you were never sent on dangerous missions alone. He wanted to keep you out of danger."

"My brother…" Rukia whispered. "Did that? Why…" Her mind whirled. Small hands clenched and unclenched against her robes as she fought to stay calm. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Captain, why are you telling me this?"

"I have received an order today," Ukitake said quietly. "You are no longer a member of Division Thirteen. It's not a transfer. They want you kicked out."

The Captain's keen eyes were watching for surprise, but Rukia only felt numb. Her mouth opened several times but no words came. "Captain," she croaked finally, "I don't understand. Kicked out? I don't… why?"

"I don't know either. They didn't tell me anything," Ukitake said gently. "And I didn't want you to leave without knowing. You are one of the most talented shinigami I've ever met, Kuchiki Rukia. If I had my way, you would've been my vice captain years ago. I would've let you gain all the experience in the world. You are stronger than Miyako was, perhaps even stronger than Kaien was. I'm… sorry."

Rukia stepped back. She had only seen her Captain apologize once before, to Kaien moments before he died. She shook her head.

"I'm not sorry, Captain Ukitake," she told him. "You've all been good to me. I… I don't care if I'm not seated. Just… please…" S he paused, feeling desperation rise in her throat. "Let me stay. I don't know what I did to get kicked out, but… I'll fix it. I'll fix whatever I have to. Let me stay. Please!"

Ukitake ruffled her hair but did not look at her. "I will do my very best to get you back, Kuchiki, but right now it's best to listen. Listen and wait."

_Listen and wait,_ Rukia thought faintly. Stepping back and gritting her teeth, she nodded. "Thank you, Captain. Excuse me."

She turned and headed for the door, feet strangely heavy. Partway there, she paused, heart beating slowly and she was tempted to turn around, to see her Captain one more time. To see if he meant it. That she was out.

"Wait, Kuchiki," Ukitake said. Rukia's heart stopped briefly. _Let him say it was a joke,_ she thought. _Or that he'll reconsider. _The Captain stood and approached her, leaning close and whispering in her ear.

"If you can, Kuchiki, keep yourself hidden for a while. Go back to your brother's home and stay there. There is something going on in Soul Society of late, and I don't like it. Don't make me worry about you."

Rukia's chest felt warm and she smiled. "Captain," she said. "I'll be careful, and you should be careful too. Listen, even if I'm not one of your shinigami, you'll always be my Captain. Take care."

Rukia left, and frustration boiled up in her chest. Angry, she crouched and shunpo stepped though the halls, around happily chattering shinigami, around those discussing their various missions, around seated officers she had defeated many times, and out into the open. She ran until she was out of breath, coming to a walk through the streets towards her brother's home.

"Hide myself," she whispered. "What did the Captain mean? I'm not in any sort of danger. I would've known about it."

Abruptly, she felt large hands clamp around her mouth and waist. Scream muffled, she was dragged backwards into a hidden corner. The streets were silent and abandoned around her as she kicked backwards and heard her attacker grunt in pain. She caught a glimpse of warm colored hair spiked upwards and the black garb of a shinigami.

"Demon art number four," she snapped, "White Li-""

The point of a zanpakuto touched her neck and the words died on her throat.

"You…" she bit out as she recognized the man.

* * *

Author's Note: 

Sort of a cliff-hanger.

… I'm trying my hand at a lengthy fanfic. Hopefully that was ok, and everyone was sort of in character. I know it's AU, and the romance bit will pick up a lot later. Yeah, in this story, two years has passed, and everyone definitely gained a lot more power. I gave Rukia shunpo because I just couldn't resist. And Ichigo can already sort-of control his inner hollow.

Please let me know if I messed up any big details about the characters or setting or anything else.

Please review! It'll make my day!


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